One Month Doctor's Visit

Yesterday we took Nora to her pediatrician for her one month checkup.  I was very excited to see how much weight she had gained since her last visit, since weight gain is the key marker of whether or not breast feeding is going well.  I felt like she was eating plenty, and she certainly looks a bit chubby these days, but even I was surprised by how much she has actually gained.  In order to reach the one ounce per day standard, she should have weighed at least 8 pounds, 11 ounces, but she weighed in at 9 pounds, 10 ounces.  I must have been right about that growth spurt!  She also measured 20 1/4 inches, which is an inch and a quarter longer than she did at birth.  These numbers put her in the 50th percentile for weight and the 25th percentile for height.

Our pediatrician doesn't give immunizations until the two month visit, so the visit was pleasant in every way. He assured me and Billy that Nora is very healthy and that the behaviors we asked about, like her nighttime grunting, are normal.  He even joked that we are "too calm for first time parents," so we left the office feeling good about Nora's development and our own.  (We didn't tell him about the times we have found ourselves frantically consulting Dr. Internet when we needed answers immediately.)  We did get a little sad when we realized that Billy will return to work before Nora's next appointment in mid December.

In the meantime, though, we're doing our best to relax and soak up the last few weeks of his paternity leave.  He snapped this photo of Nora napping with me the other day.  After she fell asleep in her baby carrier I rested her on my chest, and she napped there for a bit before slowly squirming herself into this position.  The days seem a bit uneventful now that our visitors have all gone home, but we are so thankful to have this time at home with our healthy little girl.

And while everyone thinks Nora looks just like Billy, she definitely has my eating habits (I was a chubby baby, too), and I think she has my coloring.  How precious is this photo of her clasping my thumb?

And finally, today is Oscar's seventh birthday!  Happy Birthday, Little Bud!  We appreciate how kindly you have taken to your little sister, and we'll try to make sure you get your celebratory green pepper.